Fix Auto has announced that it has taken another significant step to develop its UK coverage by doubling its presence in Scotland after signing five new franchisees in a single day.

The five new Fix Auto bodyshops - who officially joined the network at the Scottish Region’s Quarterly Business Meeting in Cumbernauld in late November - are:

Fix Auto Aberdeen – Ashgrove Motor Body Company Ltd

Fix Auto Elgin - Ashgrove Motor Body Company Ltd

Fix Auto Inverness – Ashgrove Motor Body Company Ltd

Fix Auto Perth – Elder & Paton Ltd

Fix Auto Glasgow South – Dentec (Hillington) Ltd

While today’s announcement encompasses four operational bodyshops, Fix Auto Inverness is currently under construction, and will be open for business during the first quarter of 2017. Collectively, the move will increase Fix Auto’s repair capacity in Scotland by an additional 1,300 vehicles a month, from 70,000sq ft of bodyshop workspace.

Andy O’Hare, director of Fix Auto Elgin (the most northerly Kitemark-accredited bodyshop in the UK), Fix Auto Aberdeen and Fix Auto Inverness, said: “I’ve realised for some time that we need to our voice to be heard, particularly by insurance companies, so joining Fix Auto is the natural progression for us.

“We are extremely proud of being a highly successful, independently-owned business and at the same time, we appreciate the need to be part of a network – a family - of likeminded businesses in order to enable us to keep progressing. Fix Auto provides that to us. With our Inverness bodyshop under construction, and the business now becoming part of Fix Auto, these are extremely exciting times for our business.”

He added: “While we have kept growing over the years, the team in place at Fix Auto has a proven track record of helping bodyshops to improve performance, efficiency and profitability and we are extremely excited to be able to draw on this expertise for advice and guidance.”

Billy Linton, owner of Dentec, said: “Joining Fix Auto goes hand-in-hand with our relocation to larger premises in Glasgow in October this year, paving the way for our existing site to become Fix Auto Glasgow South. The business support that Fix Auto will offer our team will enable us to maximize the performance of our new business and we are looking forward to developing what we are determined to make a flagship site for the network.”

Paul Paton, manager of Elder & Paton, concluded: “Like my colleagues, we’re delighted to be on board with Fix Auto UK. We’ve watched closely how the network has grown and developed over recent times and we firmly believe that Fix Auto is the perfect fit to energise our own current growth plans.”

Ian Pugh of Fix Auto UK, said: “Signing five franchisees to significantly enhance our Scotland coverage for our insurer clients is excellent progress for Fix Auto in the UK. I’m particularly delighted with the calibre of the businesses who have chosen to become part of the network, and I am sure they will bring with them some excellent business practices to complement the great work currently being done by our existing franchisees.”